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Irken Biology
Appearance Irkens are a humanoid breed of alien with insect-like traits. They have three fingers. They seem to have no toes; however, that might be due to the art style. Many fans seem to agree that they would have two or three toes, although this is mere fan speculation. Irken skin is always green, though there is some difference in its shade, as Zim's skin is slightly darker in color than that of both Tallests, with Tak being exceptionally pale. Their eyes have no whites or pupils (much like "Grey" aliens, which are the classic sci-fi aliens), and are only one color; ruby is by far the most common, but other colors such as red, pink, purple, green, and yellowish-brown are not unknown. Their tongues are long, segmented and almost worm-like, while their teeth are slightly pinkish-grey in hue and interconnected to form what resemble two long bands or a zipper (smeets, however, have only one small tooth similar to a human child's baby tooth, suggesting that the other teeth grow and interconnect at a later time). The antennae on the tops of their heads are plain in structure, differing between genders; males have simple pointed tips, while female antennae curl at the ends (females also have eyelashes, and their lashes and antennae often vary in shape, size, and style). It is unclear if these are actual genetic differences or just socially acceptable fashion practices. All Irkens are fitted with PAKs, confirmed in The Trial script by Tallest Red, which are placed on the upper back and most have three separate compartments, the largest at the top, likely for easier access. Yet other Irkens may have up to 4 spots and some have as little as none. At first sight, they do not seem to be based off any real-life influence, such as other science-fiction aliens, aside from looking like "little green men". However, a possible early version of Zim appears in Jhonen's comic Squee!. This alien has an Irken-like outfit and appears to be wearing part of Zim's disguise. Its eyes may be based on that of the "Grey" aliens, which are the classic sci-fi aliens. PAK The Irken PAK is a device attached to each Irken's spine, which holds the Irken's memory, knowledge, and has some handy tools, too, such as spider legs, a communication device, etc. The PAK is attached to an Irken's spine shortly after birth. If a PAK is forcefully detached from an Irken's spine, the Irken will die in ten minutes. When this happens, their PAK can be reused by other Irkens, though the knowledge of the expired Irken is drained first. It keeps track of their station in life, said in The Frycook What Came from All That Space. Despite the assertion in the commentary that PAKs also circulate blood, Zim's PAK is shown to be detachable in NanoZIM, in which he also can be seen working on it in his lab, and reattaching it without any discomfort, let alone the side effects seen in Ten Minutes to Doom, which recounts what happens as Zim loses his PAK to Dib. It can be concluded, however, that if an Irken's PAK is detached unintentionally, then that is when the side effects occur (as shown in the unfinished episode Ten Minutes to Doom, where Zim's PAK is detached by way of a dodgeball impact). It may also be what brings them to life. In Parent Teacher Night during Zim's flashback, the "cold unfeeling robot arm" attaches the PAK to his spine and proceeds to shock him into life with electricity. However, it should be noted that the PAK is only compatible with Irken biology. If attached to another creature, the PAK will destroy them in just as much time as it takes for an Irken to die without it, but not before the personality inside of the PAK overwhelms the host. Diet The Irken diet consists mainly of refined carbohydrates, and it is probable that Irkens gain all their nutrients from sugar; the Almighty Tallest constantly eat doughnuts and popcorn, and drink soda, and never gain weight. There are very few overweight Irkens, with a few exceptions, such as Invader Skoodge, Invader Krunk and Invader Dooky. In addition, Sizz-Lorr is extremely overweight. However, Sizz-Lorr is a Frylord, and has thus worked in a fast food restaurant all his life, so this might not be genetic. It can be assumed that Irkens thrive off of carbohydrates alone, and the only way for it to negatively effect them is to overeat. For example, concept art from Mopiness of Doom shows that Zim's laziness and attachment to junk food over a small span of time takes a toll on his appearance and weight. Irkens are seen eating non-fatty foods though, as Irken sandwiches make a few appearances in the series. Irken sandwiches look exactly like Earth sandwiches, except they have the Irken insignia on them. In the Nicktoons Christmas commercial How the You-Know-Who Stole You-Know-What, it was implied that the Irkens have a form of chocolate that can be molded to various shapes; here, Zim's chocolate was in the form of a candy cane, which Angelica tried to pry it away from him as he sleeps.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KGdouJKUWQ However, the canonicity of this is questionable. Organs and Anatomy The details of the Irken inner anatomy are mostly unknown, save for their 'Squeedlyspooch', which is mentioned throughout the series and is confirmed in the commentary of Germs to be one large super-organ, filling the Irken's entire torso and performing almost all bodily functions. It is possible that their equivalent of a heart is separate from the Squeedlyspooch itself, as Zim makes reference to it in Parent Teacher Night. Irken brains look almost exactly like human brains, and exist mainly to control the PAK, being unable to function normally without it. An Irken's blood has never been seen in the show, but there have been some hints in episodes such as Planet Jackers (when Zim tried to distract the Planet Jackers by fighting them hand-to-hand). After a while we see Zim again, but this time he is badly injured and his face is covered with patches of bright green liquid; presumably blood. Another good example of an Irken's blood color is any time Zim gets burned with meat. In Tak: The Hideous New Girl, when Zim returns home and we see him in GIR's point of view, he is smoldering and covered with dark green patches (most likely bruises or scorched skin) on his face. However, Jhonen mentioned at some point that Irken blood was a clearish-pink in color, though it is unclear if he was actually being serious or not. Most fans seem to agree on the 'not' option, opting instead for green, purple, or (less commonly) blue, and sometimes even red. Suggested at the end of Dark Harvest, when Zim was deemed 'healthy' by the nurse once she checked his thermometer, an Irken's body temperature may be very close to that of humans. An Irken's skeletal system is almost similar in structure to a human skeleton, but more flexible, durable, and can regenerate and heal much faster. The skeletal structure of several Irkens can be seen in The Nightmare Begins as numerous Invaders march past a series of x-rays. Although Irkens don't have any nostrils, they smell from the same area as humans; however, this reaction may be for comedic purposes for the show only. Either that, or there is a permeable membrane in that area which can detect scents. It is speculated that their antennae also serve this purpose, as well as being meant to pick up sound, though it was never confirmed exactly what the antennae are meant to do (other than express emotion). They are mainly used in the same manner as eyebrows to convey emotion, but it is heavily implied in Battle of the Planets that they pick up vibration. Irken Invaders have surgically installed ocular implants that enhance their eyes' line of sight, mentioned in the episode Walk of Doom, when Zim searches for his home base on top of a skyscraper in the middle of a city. Genders and Reproduction Irkens are known to be produced through cloning in underground facilities many fans refer to as 'smeeteries'. It is implied that since the discovery of this system, Irkens have lost the ability to reproduce naturally, which would suggest that Irkens were formally a species that reproduced to keep the species going rather than for love. No Irken is ever mentioned as having a mate or offspring. The Irken race does have two separate genders, but the differences between them are minimal. Males have straight antennae with a single kink at the end, while females have curled antennae (although the style of curls vary) and eyelashes. It is unknown whether Irken females have curled antennae naturally, or if they are styled that way for the sake of fashion. Irkens can also be defined by their voices, which are clearly either male or female. The differences between the sexes is not relevant in their society, as it is seen that Irkens are grown artificially and therefore not born naturally. In any event, female Irkens are able to perform military tasks up to and including Invader and Elite classes, the former seen with Invader Zee and Invader Tenn, while the latter is mentioned by Tak (and confirmed in concept sketches of Elite soldiers). In the unfinished episode The Trial, the Tallest was also female (confirmed in concept sketches of Tallest Miyuki). Therefore, it can be said that all Irkens are equal in terms of gender. There appear to be far more male Irkens than female, though again, this may have more to do with the artists rather than the gender statistics of the Irken race. Although most scenes from Irk are of military facilites, this may be similar to human armies in the fact that there are more males than females. Strengths and Weaknesses Irken skin can kill parasites such as lice, possibly by secreting some sort of protective substance. However, while safe from such pests, their skin cannot tolerate Earth meat, water, or beans, the former burning them terribly and even fusing to their skin. Almighty Tallest Red claims that Zim almost went blind when meat fused to his flesh and invaded his eyesockets. They also have negative reactions when exposed to Earth liquids (namely water). As confirmed by Jhonen in the commentary for The Wettening, it is the pollutants in Earth water that causes the burns rather than the water itself. Paste suffices to completely nullify the effects of tainted Earth liquids. It seems that there is nothing that can protect them from meat. They sweat similarly to humans and can get zits when the skin is scrubbed by an oily substance (such as cheese or bacon). However, unlike human zits, they can grow to enormous size (as big as a classroom when fully swollen), and are translucent and filled with a vast amount of pus. Irken zits also have hypnotic powers when shaken. It may be just an allergic reaction to certain chemicals, such as a combination of cheese, bacon, and Acne Blast. Most Earth foods will make an Irken sick, although foods such as waffles, rich in sugar and carbohydrates, seem to be fine if eaten in moderation. It is seen in certain episodes that an appendage can fall off or be removed and that it has no real influence, as seen in Dib's Wonderful Life of Doom and Planet Jackers. They can heal at incredibly fast rates, which is why Zim said to Dib in Halloween Spectacular of Spooky Doom, "As soon as my skeleton stops being broken, I will destroy you!". Zim's eyes have been seen falling out of their sockets before, although they can simply be popped back in without irritation or injury. His arm snapped off on one occasion, and he seemed more bewildered than concerned about the loss of his limb. While capable, Irkens do not sleep, as confirmed in Roboparents Gone Wild, and their PAKs may just keep recharging even when functioning so that they don't have to. Despite their decades of military training, few Irkens show much prowess in the way of physical strength; although he is only a child, Dib has been shown to be more than capable of pinning Zim down. Therefore, with this in mind, it's possible that Irkens rely on their wits, technology, and sheer numbers when it comes to battling, rather than by actual physical prowess. However, Zim has, on occasion, shown feats of uncanny strength, an example of which being when he bodyslams a human in Attack of the Saucer Morons. Irkens also are shown to have incredible agility on Earth, and this may be due to (a) Irk's massive size and gravity, (b) genetic enhancements, © all of the above, or (d) the way Zim and Tak are animated. Dib also seems to have this miraculous agility, but that might be due to the fact that he was created/built much like Irkens are, or the way he is animated. In spite of their apparent weaknesses, however, Irkens have extremely long life spans compared to normal humans, Zim himself being around 160 Earth years old (equivalent to just under 16 years on Irk). See also *Irken *Irken PAK *Irken History References Category:Irken Empire